Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Meilen Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Meilen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,706 in Basel versus $3,525 in Meilen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,904 in Basel versus $5,499 in Meilen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,102 in Basel versus $7,473 in Meilen.

Living in Basel is roughly 5% more expensive than Meilen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 176% above, Meilen 162% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.07 CHF 24.67

$31.08 CHF 24.67

-0.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$155 CHF 123

$145 CHF 115

6.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.81 CHF 15.72

$18.50 CHF 14.69

7.08%

Cappuccino

$6.98 CHF 5.54

$6.37 CHF 5.06

9.58%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 CHF 4.52

$5.87 CHF 4.66

-3.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 CHF 3.97

$5.13 CHF 4.07

-2.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 CHF 7.78

$8.38 CHF 6.65

16.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.64 CHF 6.07

$7.27 CHF 5.77

5.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.76

$2.31 CHF 1.83

-3.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.85 CHF 3.05

$3.29 CHF 2.61

17.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.00 CHF 3.97

$4.05 CHF 3.21

23.46%

Eggs

$8.00 CHF 6.35

$7.53 CHF 5.98

6.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.50 CHF 22.62

$29.71 CHF 23.58

-4.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.38 CHF 28.88

$33.41 CHF 26.52

8.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.61 CHF 35.42

$50.4 CHF 40.01

-11.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 CHF 3.14

$4.23 CHF 3.36

-6.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 CHF 2.14

$2.41 CHF 1.91

12.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.37

$2.99 CHF 2.37

41.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.84 CHF 5.43

$5.18 CHF 4.11

32.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.15 CHF 2.50

$2.51 CHF 1.99

25.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 CHF 2.27

$2.24 CHF 1.78

27.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 CHF 2.09

$2.51 CHF 1.99

4.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CHF 1.19

$1.13 CHF 0.90

32.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.55 CHF 9.17

$11.01 CHF 8.74

4.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.89 CHF 11.03

$15.27 CHF 12.12

-9.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 CHF 1.88

$2.16 CHF 1.71

9.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 CHF 2.43

$2.29 CHF 1.82

33.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.67 CHF 3.71

$3.83 CHF 3.04

21.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 85.7

$96.8 CHF 76.8

11.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.06 CHF 6.40

$6.63 CHF 5.26

21.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.28 CHF 3.40

$4.11 CHF 3.26

4.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 69.2

$81.5 CHF 64.7

7.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.76

$2.24 CHF 1.78

-0.89%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$39.9K CHF 31.7K

$39.6K CHF 31.4K

0.84%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$44.8K CHF 35.5K

$38.9K CHF 30.9K

15.01%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$308 CHF 245

$256 CHF 203

20.57%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$55.1 CHF 43.74

$58.4 CHF 46.34

-5.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.9 CHF 47.51

$58.8 CHF 46.71

1.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.5 CHF 71.8

$88.9 CHF 70.5

1.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.81 CHF 33.19

$64.7 CHF 51.4

-35.38%

Cinema Ticket

$23.10 CHF 18.34

$27.31 CHF 21.68

-15.42%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,555 CHF 2,029

$2,795 CHF 2,219

-8.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.2K CHF 27.2K

$40.1K CHF 31.8K

-14.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 CHF 106

$140 CHF 111

-5.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.4 CHF 68.6

$61.6 CHF 48.92

40.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$175 CHF 139

$147 CHF 116

19.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$234 CHF 186

$205 CHF 163

14.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,106 CHF 1,672

$1,728 CHF 1,372

21.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 CHF 1,178

$1,468 CHF 1,165

1.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,757 CHF 2,982

$2,884 CHF 2,290

30.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,891 CHF 2,295

$2,465 CHF 1,957

17.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.7K CHF 14.8K

$24.8K CHF 19.7K

-24.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.0K CHF 11.1K

$11.9K CHF 9,462

17.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,072 CHF 6,408

$8,694 CHF 6,902

-7.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.55

2.09

22.01%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Basel: June 8, 2026

Last update for Meilen: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,106 in Basel and $1,728 in Meilen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Meilen pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $155 in Basel vs $145 in Meilen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $691 vs $665 per month, with Meilen cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Basel vs Meilen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Meilen wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Meilen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Meilen earns 8% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,106 in Basel versus $1,728 in Meilen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,555 in Basel versus $2,795 in Meilen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Meilen is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Meilen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,525 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Meilen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Meilen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Meilen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.